#NavalService - LÉ James Joyce completed a 100 day tour of duty in the Mediterranean Sea as part of EUNAVFOR-Med, Operation Sophia, having returned yesterday to its homeport of Cork Harbour to be welcomed by families and loved ones alongside the quay.

Also in attendence at the Irish Naval Service Base on Haulbowline Island, was Minister with Responsibility for Defence, Mr. Paul Kehoe T.D and by the Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces, Vice Admiral Mark Mellett DSM.

The Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) P60 class, Commanded by Lieutenant Commander Martin Brett, and a crew comprising of 57 members of the Defence Forces received a warm welcome from family, friends and colleagues at the base's Oil Wharf facing Cobh.

LÉ James Joyce became the third Naval Service ship deployed to the Mediterranean as part of Operation Sophia when the OPV departed in early July.

The Offshore Patrol Vessel, LÉ James Joyce was deployed last month to join Operation Sophia/EUNAVFOR (European Union Naval Force). The EU led mission is to combat and disrupt people-trafficking in the central Mediterranean Sea off north Africa.

Due to the large distances at sea during Operation Sophia, naval vessels from other participating EU member states also involve RAS. The above exercise involved the auxiliary tanker that Afloat.ie has identified as the German Navy's FGS Mosel. The 1993 built vessel is the second of a quartet of Type 404 'Elbe' class tanker tenders.

Auxiliary tankers such as 3,586 displacement FGS Mosel carry out bunkers, a nautical term to supply fuel to ships. In addition the tender is designed to provide fresh water, ammunication and general supplies that can be stored in containers as seen above on the deck.

#NavalService- LÉ James Joyce is currently in the Mediterranean having departed Cork Harbour almost a week ago to replace the first Irish Naval Service ship to be deployed to Operation Sophia during this year, writes Jehan Ashmore.

Prior to the departure last Friday, Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces Vice Admiral Mark Mellett DSM, bid farewell to the crew LÉ James Joyce. The Offshore Patrol Vessel was berthed at the oil wharf at Haulbowline Naval Base in preparation for the overseas deployment.

In recent days, LÉ James Joyce was offshore of Algeria and today is heading further eastward towards the cental Mediterranean. The second of the OPV90 class offshsore patrol vessels will takeover duties from LÉ Samuel Beckett which in March began deployment for Operation Sophia.

LÉ James Joyce is under the Command of Lieutenant Commander Martin Brett. A total of 57 personnel make up the crew from members of the Defence Forces. They will be on extended deployment since receiving notice that they would be sailing to assist Operation Sophia which involves other navies from participating EU member states.

As RTÉ News reports, the Naval Service OPV was diverted from a routine patrol to retrieve the solo yachtsman from his vessel, which was taking on water some 16 nautical miles southwest of Roches Point.

#NewMedals – New International Operational Service Medals were presented to members of the Defence Forces by Minister Paul Kehoe in Dun Laoghaire Harbour at the weekend, writes Jehan Ashmore.

The medals are in recognition of their humanitarian missions overseas which included Naval Service crew members that were deployed to the Mediterranean Sea due to the migrant refugee crisis. Other members of the Defence Forces that were deployed for example in Sierra Leone, west Africa were also awarded medals.

To mark the occasion that took place on Saturday at the Carlisle Pier was berthed LE James Joyce (P62). The offshore patrol vessel (OPV) had taken part in Operation Pontus during her Mediterranean deployment until replaced in September by a sister LE Samuel Beckett.

#JoyceReturns - The LÉ James Joyce has since this report by The Irish Times returned to Cork Harbour this morning. The OPV90 class ship was welcomed by Minister of State for Defence, Paul Kehoe following a deployment in the Mediterranean in which saw some 2,500 migrants rescued.

The ship was deployed on July 8th following Government approval as part of Ireland’s response to the migrant crisis. Defence Forces Chief of Staff, Vice Admiral Mark Mellett will be in attendance at the homecoming at Naval Base at Haulbowline, Cork.

The LÉ James Joyce, under its captain Lieut Cdr Neil Manning, rescued 2,491 people and recovered 21 deceased people. The crew assisted the Italian authorities in the rescue of a further 1,082 people. The vessel and its crew of 59 has been replaced by leadship class sister LÉ Samuel Beckett, which departed last week.

#Recovery - In a search and rescue mission, LÉ James Joyce, tragically recovered bodies while locating 265 migrants from two rubber vessels 32 nautical miles NW of the Libyan capital, Tripoli.

A total of 5 people were declared dead, including one heavily pregnant woman.

At 9.20am LÉ James Joyce initially rescued the 106 migrants on board the first vessel before moving to a second vessel which contained 164 migrants including several people that were in need of urgent medical attention.

Those people in need of attention were immediately taken to LÉ James Joyce for treatment which was provided by both Defence Forces medical personnel and the Red Cross. Sadly, one male and four female migrants, one of whom was heavily pregnant, were pronounced dead.

The other 265 migrants are now on board LÉ James Joyce, where they are receiving food, water and medical treatment where required.

LÉ James Joyce was to transfer all 265 rescued migrants, along with the deceased, to the Italian Navy ITS Bersagliere which will transfer them to a designated Port of Safety.

The LE James Joyce and her crew were part of a mission co-ordinated by Italian Maritime Rescue to save almost 2,000 people at risk in 18 separate boats off the coast of Libya. The refugees were trying to enter Europe.

The rescue happened about 40 nautical miles northwest of the Libyan capital, Tripoli.

It will be presented to personnel who have taken part in overseas missions with the prior approval of the Government.

Up to now, the military have been awarded medals by either the United Nations, the EU or Nato for most missions outside of the State.

But those deployed on humanitarian missions, such as the current Operation Pontus, where the Naval Service have been rescuing migrants from the Mediterranean since last year, have not been similarly recognised.

The decision to award the new medal was announced yesterday by Minister with responsibility for Defence, Paul Kehoe, when he visited the captain and crew of LE James Joyce in Cagliari in Sardinia. The presentation of the medals will take place in Rosslare, Co Wexford, next month.

LE James Joyce is the fifth Naval vessel to have been deployed since the Irish joined the Mediterranean mission in May last year.

Sixteen bodies have been recovered so far by the 59-strong crew of LE James Joyce and a total of 1,882 migrants, including 56 children, have been rescued.

#MigrantRescue -LÉ James Joyce has rescued a total of 165* migrants in three separate vessels during search and rescue operations north-east of Tripoli,Libya

The search and rescue (SAR) request came earlier today from the Italian Maritime Rescue Co-Ordination Centre.

During the first operation, 15* migrants were rescued from a wooden vessel located 40 nautical miles north-east of Tripoli. The rescue commenced at 6.40am and all migrants were taken on board LÉ James Joyce and are now receiving food, water and medical treatment where required.

The LÉ James Joyce was re-tasked to assist with the rescue of a further 150* people from two rubber vessels also located 40 nautical miles north-east of the Libyan capital. The second rescue commenced at 7.50am and all migrants are currently on board.

A further search and rescue operation is currently underway.

*Figures for today's operation are provisional until confirmed by the Italian authorities.

LÉ James Joyce departed Naval Service Headquarters in Haulbowline, Cork to assist the Italian Authorities in operations in the Mediterranean in May The OPV90 class ship first deployment in SAR began on 8 July.